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Andrea Chu is a Global Marketing Graduate Trainee and Intern at Schneider Electric’s Hong Kong Hub. A graduate from the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom, she is now working on the Campaign team. In below blog article she shares what it is like to be a Global Marketing Graduate Trainee in the Hong Kong Hub office.
Finding a hidden gem
I must admit that when I was looking for marketing job after graduating from university, working at Schneider Electric did not cross my mind. After all, I studied languages and business management at university. I’ve always thought that consumer marketing seemed like the more obvious choice. However, I’m glad that I took a leap out of my comfort zone and so far my 2 months at Schneider Electric have exceeded my expectations.
Did you know that Schneider Electric no longer has a global headquarter? Our senior management are now spread across 3 global hubs in Paris, Boston, and Hong Kong. This was one of the main reasons why I took this internship. As a fresh graduate, it is rare to have the opportunity to be involved in a multinational company’s global marketing strategy. It is even rarer to have the chance to do so in Hong Kong! In this sense, Schneider Electric is a hidden gem for me.
Our company’s hub model is key to understanding what life is like in the Hong Kong Hub. Not only are the profiles of my colleagues in the office very diverse, the structure of our teams is very international. Virtual teams and time differences are a daily reality here. Half of my team is based in Hong Kong and the other half are based in Europe. Personally, I like this work environment. I spent the last 10 years studying in Europe and I love that I can continue growing my international network in my professional career.
I work on the Campaign team. As the name suggest, we plan, execute, and track the performance of our global campaigns. One of the projects I am working on is to promote our customers’ success stories. Our EcoStruxure products and solutions help our customers worldwide to save energy and reach their sustainability goals. This is a great story to tell and knowing that my work helps to contribute a more sustainable future makes coming to work more meaningful.
A Day in The Life of An Intern
With that in mind, here is what a day in my life is like:
9am: I arrive at our office. We have a hot desk system here, so the first thing I do in the morning is to go and find a desk. Once I’ve found a seat, I get a coffee from the pantry and have a quick chat with my colleagues who are there.
Afterwards I start working. What I do varies a lot from day to day. This morning, I’m helping my team to build a new project management tracker to speed up our execution process.
I value the depth of marketing expertise in the company. My managers have worked at leading FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) companies for years prior to joining SE. It is great to learn and observe how they manage projects on a global scale.
12pm: I have lunch with my colleagues at one of the many restaurants in Quarry Bay. I usually have lunch with my French colleagues and this is a great opportunity for me to practice my French. I studied French at university, but I haven’t spoken it in a long time. Thankfully, they said that my French has improved a lot since I joined the company.
1pm: We have a surprise birthday celebration for our CMO Chris Leong. This is one of the nice things about being in the Hong Kong Hub. Our CEO and CMO are both based in Hong Kong. In other companies, it is not often that you get to see the CEO and CMO of your company, but you can in our office!
Afternoon
2pm: Time for some competitor research. In marketing, it is essential to keep an eye on what our competitors are doing.
3pm: Now that Europe has woken up, we have a catch-up call with the rest of the Campaign team there.
4pm: Back to doing the competitor research.
6pm: Today we have a Bollywood Dance workshop after work in the office. Anshika, our Customer Stories Program Manager has kindly volunteered to teach these classes. I can’t dance to save my life, but it is a fun way to end the day and do some exercise.
This is what I like about Schneider Electric. It is a company that really values people, it actively encourages us to pursue our passions and live a full life. Since I’ve joined, I have volunteered at the company’s booth at Pink Dot, a local festival to celebrate equality for the LGBTI community. This weekend, I am joining a company volunteering trip to help clean up a beach in Hong Kong. We get compensation leave for volunteering, so work is never an excuse for not giving back to our community!
For the rest of my internship, I would like to make the most of being at the vantage point of a Schneider Electric global hub to develop my strategic thinking and project manager skills. As a marketer in a digital age, I would like to improve my data analysis skills to discover new insights and stay competitive.
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